Sunday night, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen thought he had a significant scoop: The Arizona Cardinals, disheartened by Matt Leinart’s four-completion, three-interception preseason effort Saturday against the Raiders, had selected Kurt Warner as the team’s starting QB.

Instantly, diligent Fantasy Football owners hit the books: Larry Fitzgerald caught zero TDs in the first three games (started by Leinart) … and then he erupted when Warner took over. The obvious reaction was to grab Fitzgerald early, and then in the later rounds, when everyone is bypassing (and mocking) the 37-year-old Warner, scoop him up and hope he can pull another 3,400, 27-TD season out of his ass. (Full disclosure: We did this in our draft Monday night.)

In Tuesday’s Arizona Republic: “I just told him that the report that was out was inaccurate,” Whisenhunt said, “that I hadn’t talked to Chris Mortensen and I was unaware of anybody that had. . . . It was not coming from us, or at least people on our staff or ones I was aware of. Having been through situations like this before, I wanted him to understand that that was not my feelings or that was not what was going on with that report.”

Mother &$#!*%!!

The Cardinals claim there’s still no decision as to whom the starter will be for the opener, and both will get some burn against Denver this weekend. For Mort’s sake, future credibility (Jay Glazer at FOX got him again on the Strahan-staying-retired story) and fantasy football owners everywhere, let’s hope Warner’s the guy.